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W. H. LOUGHEAD 8v J. B. FLEMING.

FRUIT DRIER.

No. 286,936. Patented Oct. li 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

\ \"ILLT.'\M H. LOUGHE-AD AND JOSEPH E. FLEMNG, OF XFIYA, Ol-HU.

.'FRUlT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,936, dated October 16, 1883. Application lcd August 8, 18331. (No mode-Ll .To .'LZ whom. it may] concer-1t.-

Beitlcnownlhatwe,WimiinILLoLeni-:An and `Tosi-:rn B.Fi.n.\I1NG,bot-h of Xenia, Greene county, Ohio, have invented new and useful improvements in I `rnit-Driers, of which (he following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements` in those apparatus for drying fruits and other edihles in which the objects to be dried are spread upon grated or perforated trays or pallets, which are carried slowly up one heated chamber and down another one, from which latter the trays, with their dried contents, are then removed; and ourimprovements are particularly directed to the means for snehmovement of the trays within the said chambers and their transfer from one to the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a drying apparatus embodying our improvements, only the lower and upper portions of the appaiatns being shown. Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, showing portions of the tray-shifting mechanism in its inactive condition.` Fig. 3 shows a portion of the same' mechanism in po`- sition preparatory to Ylifting ofv the shifting-- frame.YV Fig. 4 shows the tray-shifting' mechanismin operation. Figs. 5 andwv show, by end and side elevations, a sprocket-wheel and -portion of V1*.'arrying-ehain.'

A A represent two basements, of which each contains a'stove or" furnace, B B', which furnaces may be of identical or of diverse forms and dimensions.v The respective basements A A are sui-mounted by as many tall chambers or ovens C C', having sheaves or sprockets D, around which are stretched three paiis of endless chains or carriers E E' E". The three shafts of the three upper pairs of sprockets carry wormwheeis F F E, into which mesh the worms G G' G" upon shaft H, which shaft is slowly rotated either by means of ahandcrank, I, or by geared or other suitable connection with any driving-power. The intermediate worm, G', is of reverse vspiralit-y to the other two, in order that when the entire apparatus isset in motion the carriers may be so revolved as for their parts which are next to the chambers to travel constantly upward in 'chamber C and downward in chamber C', as indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 1. Each carrier-chain has rigidly attached to it, at suitable efplidistant intervals,T-lln'nied pieces whose fingersj, extending rectangular-ly from the chain, constitute the represented rigid horizontal lllQicet-ions into the chamlmrs. lhc said pieces .l are so locali-d upon the chainsl that in ever)v possible condition nl' the appa ratus there are a series of groups of four 1ingers, each at cqnidistant consecutive levels, of which each group serves to uphold a tray or pallet, K.

To enable ready shift of each fray (as it reaches the uppermostposition in chamber C) onto the top ofthe descendingpairof carriers in ehamberC' we provide the lollowing transA fel-ring or shifting mechanism: N is a frame, whose rearend is secured by hinge 'nto the remote wall of chamber C', and whose frontend is free to be lifted by the operator from the horizontal position see Fig. l) which it assumes when left to itself. Secured byhingc oto each side of said frame is a swinging frame, O, that (at the free extremity of Vframe N) terminates in an arm, l. lach swinging frame O "is rarmed with a series of studs, Q that carry rollers It. rlhere are also journaled .in thefra-me Ntwo-series of vertical rollers, U.

The above-described parts are so placed and proportioned that when the swinging frames Q iblre` brought to Yhorizontality (in manner to be presently explained) their rollers R press upward against the under sides of the tray in ch'amber C, which is at that time the upper most one: The above-described transferring mechanism is placed under cont-rol of the operator by means of a cord or chain, S, which, being conducted over a sheai'e, T, has four branches, s, of which two (that are somewhat shorter than the others) are attached to the ends ofthe arms 1, andof which the other two are attached to the f ree end of h-i nged frame N. A tray having reached its uppermost position in chamber C is readily transferred to the carrier in the adjoining chamber, C', by simply pulling the cord S, an act which brings the parts tothe position shown in Fig. 4. The tray, being lifted b v thc rollers R off of its supporting-fingers of the ascending carrier, runs by its own gravity onto the carrier in the adjoining chamber, it being guided and eased in such passage bythe two series of vertical rolleis U. Having thus reached thc chamber C', the tray follows its predecessors ICO ' chambers or ovens, C C,of the t-hree pairs 0f endless carriers E E u having the rigid reet- :mgnlarly-proieeting fingersj, and whose connection with the Worms G G' G" is sneh tha-t the fingers in one ehanxher are Constantly aseending, \\'hil those in lheolher(chalnliurare descending, in the nn'rnner and I'or the pnrposes setf'orth.

2. In a fruit; 0r Vegetable drying apparatus, the combination, with-the three neighboring carriers E E E", operated in the manner described, of the trayshifl'ing or transferring mechanism, consistingl of hinged frame N, lia-ving' the vertical rollers U, and having the attached swinging frames O, whose studs Q Carry rollers Il, and to whose arms l. is ab taehed the operating` eord or ehain Ss, suh- Stanlally :is selforth.

In testimony of which invention we herrnnto set our hands.

FILLIAM Il. LOUGHEAIL JOSEPH l1. FRENI N( i.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 286,936, granted October 16, 1883, upon the application of William H. Laughcad :md Joseph B. Fleming, of Xenia., Ohio, for mi improvement iu Fruit Driers, the nement' one of' the pateiitees was erroneously written and printed William H. Lougheamh that it appears from au affidavit filed in the Patent Occ that the correct name is William H. Lfiugheml and that this correction-should he read in the said Letters Patent to make it conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

M. L. JOSLYN,

Acting Secretary of the Interior.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 6th day of November,

[SEAL] Oountcrsigued:

BENJ. BUTTERWURTH,

Comm-issimwr of Patents. 

